ITALIAN COOKING AND RECIPES

Authentic And Traditional Italian Food Recipes

Its name means "beautiful country" and it is a very creamy, mild-flavoured cheese with a waxy yellow rind. It maybe eaten on its own or used for cooking.

DOLCELATTE

This is a very creamy, delicate-tasting type of Gorgonzola. Its name means "sweet milk".

FONTINA

A mild, nutty-tasting cheese with a creamy texture, genuine fontina is produced from the unpasteurized milk of cattle grazed on alpine herbs and grass in the Val d'Aosta. When fresh, it is delicious eaten on its own and the mature cheese is excellent for cooking.

GORGONZOLA

Strictly speaking, this cheese should be called Stracchino Gorgonzola. It is a creamy cheese with green-blue veining and its flavour can range from mild to strong. Delicious on its own, it can also be used in pasta sauces and stirred into polenta.

MASCARPONE

This is a triple cream cheese from Lombardy that can be used for making cheesecakes and other desserts. It also adds richness to risotto and pasta sauces.

MOZZARELLA

No Italian kitchen would be complete without a supply of this moist, white, egg-shaped cheese. Traditionally made from buffalo milk, it is the ideal cheese for cooking and is also used in salads with tomatoes and fresh basil. It originated in the area around Naples, which still produces the best mozzarella, but it is now made throughout Italy, often from cow's milk.

PARMESAN

Probably the best-known Italian cheese, Parmesan is extensively used in cooking. Parmigiano Reggiano is produced under strictly controlled conditions in a closely defined area. It is always aged for a minimum of two years, but this may be extended up to seven years. Α cow's milk cheese, it is hard with a granular, flaky texture and a slightly nutty flavour. It is best bought in a single piece and grated as required.

PECNORIO

Α hard or semi-hard ewe's milk cheese, pecorino is widely used in cooking. It has a sharp flavour and a granular texture rather like Parmesan. Pecorino pepato from Sicily is studded with black peppercorns.

PROVOLONE

Eaten on its own when fresh, provolone is also perfect for cooking, as it has a stringy texture when melted. It is made from different types of milk — the strongest being made from goat's milk. Buffalo milk is often used in the south of Italy. Cylindrical or oval, it varies considerably in size and is often seen hanging from the ceiling in Italian delicatessens.

RICOTTA

Literally translated as "re cooked", ricotta is a soft white curd cheese originally made from goat's or ewe's milk. It is more often made from cow's milk these days. It is widely used for both savoury and sweet dishes and is classically paired with spinach.